Karaoke recommendations

While on the subject of karaoke, if you're looking for some Japanese songs to learn/sing, here are some of my favourites. I chose ones that I thought were popular and well-known, fun to sing, and not too fast to read. Mind you, if you are a total beginner at reading Japanese, they will still be too fast.

If you don't like singing karaoke, I still recommend giving these songs a listen. ^_^

I have included the Japanese song title and artist. I tried to put it here as you'd find it on a karaoke selector. For example, 'Kiseki' is usually written in hiragana.

Male artists

Ue o muite arukou (I look up as I walk), Sakamoto Kyuu

上を向いて歩こう, 坂本 九

Apparently this song was actually released in Western countries under the name 'Sukiyaki', but good luck finding that on karaoke selectors. This song is an oldie and very well-known, has a pleasant melody, is not too long, and is at a tempo convenient for reading.

I don't know why they called it 'sukiyaki'. If you didn't know, this is a nostalgic sort of song about loneliness and the passing seasons, while 'sukiyaki' is a hotpot dish. I heard this title was chosen just because 'sukiyaki' sounded recognisably Japanese to the Western ear. It's a bit like releasing the Beatles 'Yesterday' in Japan, only calling it 'Hamburger'. 

Linda Linda, The Blue Hearts

リンダリンダ, ザ・ブルーハーツ (often 'The Blue Hearts' is written in romaji))

This song has repetition - one good thing - a very easy chorus (can you sing 'Linda Linda' over and over again? I thought so) and if you have Japanese friends with you, you can possibly get them all shouting along and jumping up and down on the seats (if they are anything like my friends anyway ^^;;).

I think the words are easy to remember, so give it a go. ^_^

I also like The Blue Hearts' 'Train Train' - another good 'group song' that everyone shouts along to - but it has more lyrics, and *way* too fast for me!

Ashita ga aru sa (There's always tomorrow), the Ulfuls

明日があるさ, ウルフルズ

This song has been done by a few groups, I believe, but my version of choice is the Ulfuls. They're great. ^_^ Actually, this was first done by Kyu Sakamoto, who did 'Ue o muite arukou' mentioned above. This is a fun, catchy song, and has a repeating chorus that's easy to join in with.

Speaking of the Ulfuls, I also enjoy their Guts da ze!, Banzai! Suki de yokatta and Eenen, the first two of which are particularly well-known, but all are more difficult to sing than Ashita ga aru sa. ^_^

Kiseki (Miracle), GreEEeeEEEEen

きせき, GReeeeN

I can't remember how many 'e's in Greeeeeeeen so I added a few for good measure. ^_^ Okay, it's four. This song is SO popular and a really good Jpop song. It's not high on my list of personal favourites - I find the melody a bit monotonous to sing for an entire song, and I don't know it well, and the speed is just slightly challenging for me. If you're not too slow at reading Japanese, it should be okay.

Speaking of GReeeeN, their song 'Michi' is one of my favourite Japanese songs at the moment. I heard of this song when a friend sang it at karaoke. See, karaoke is good. I found out about lots of new songs from it. ^_^

Female artists

The male songs I listed above are also comfortable for a girl's range, in my opinion.

Yasashisa ni tsutsumareta nara (As though enveloped by kindness)

やさしさに包まれたなら

As a girl, I love this song; it fits my range so nicely, and it's a really pretty, mellow song, very sweet and uplifting to sing. This is the 'theme song' for the famous Ghibli movie 'Majou no takkyubin', in English 'Kiki's Delivery Service'.

It has been done by various artists; the movie version by Arai Yumi (荒井 由実).

Rirura riruha (Real life, real heart), Kimura Kaela

リルラリルハ、 木村カエラ

Kaela Kimura is popular at the moment, and this song is bright and fun to sing. I heard of it through the Ouendan games. Linda Linda is also in Ouendan.

English songs

If you are wondering about English songs that are popular at karaoke, I have heard a lot of: 'Take me home country roads' (I never heard this song before I came to Japan), 'I was made to love you' (a Queen song I had never heard of before I came to Japan), many Beatles songs, the Titanic song... 

In my group, 'Under the Bridge', 'Livin on a Prayer' and 'Sweet Child o Mine' also seem to get a lot of currency, but I don't know if that's indicative of Japan as a whole, ha ha ha.